ROLLA, Mo. – A pair of brilliant pitching performances, combined with a pair of clutch two-out hits, propelled Missouri S&T's softball team to a doubleheader sweep Sunday afternoon over Southwest Baptist at the S&T Softball Field. The Miners took the first game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference twinbill 4-0, then scored a run in the bottom of seventh in game two to finish the sweep with a 1-0 victory.
Game 1 – Miners 4, Southwest Baptist 0
While S&T starting pitcher
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) was keeping the Bearcats off the bases during the early innings, the Miners were able to finally break through in the bottom of the third with three runs on one swing of the bat.
With two outs, the Miners (14-16, 6-4 GLVC) got back-to-back singles from
Emma Vaughn (Pevely, Mo./Herculaneum) and
Rachel Smith (Monroe City, Mo./Monroe City R-1), followed by a walk to Wooldridge to load the bases.
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) followed with a double into right center to score the first two runners, then when the throw to the plate got away, Wooldridge was able to cross the plate as well.
Those would be all the offense Wooldridge would need, although S&T got another run across in the sixth when
Madison Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) singled off the glove of right fielder Katlynn McConville to drive in
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV).
The S&T starter carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, striking out eight over the first six innings and allowing only three baserunners on walks. After getting Margo Frossard on a soft liner right back to her, Shalie Wooden hit a fly ball to left that sailed over the head and off the top of Antzoulatos' glove for a double to break up the no-hitter. Wooldridge finished the game by getting her ninth strikeout when she fanned Emma Vincent, then pinch-runner Bailey Pierce was caught stealing to end the contest.
The Miners had nine hits in the first game, with Passolano and
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) getting two apiece. Wooldridge threw just 83 pitches in her complete game performance.
Game 2 – Miners 1, Southwest Baptist 0
The nightcap turned into a pitchers' duel between S&T's
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) and SBU's Paige Leithead, as neither team was able to generate much in terms of scoring threats over the first six innings.
S&T had two runners on with one out in the second, a runner at second with two outs in the fourth and a runner at third with two outs in the fifth, but was kept off the scoreboard in all three cases. SBU didn't get its first baserunner until Wooden doubled with one out in the fifth and didn't have another runner in scoring position until McConville doubled with one down in the seventh.
In the Miner half of the seventh,
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) singled into right to open the inning and moved up to second on Jobson's sacrifice bunt. After the next hitter was retired,
Gretchen Roth (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) hit a grounder up the third base line that went off the glove of third baseman Chloee Sams and rolled into foul territory, allowing Viox to come around with the winning run.
Rowland allowed only the two hits and struck out eight to pick up her third win of the season; the Bearcats had only three baserunners in the game. S&T had only three hits, a single by Wooldridge in the first and the two hits that produced the winning run in the seventh.
Missouri S&T will host Drury Monday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the S&T Softball Field.
